1 Corinthians 15
1 Moreouer brethren, I declare vnto you the Gospel, which I preached vnto you, which ye haue also receiued, and wherein ye continue,
Next, friends, I would like to remind you of the good news which I told you, and which you received – the good news on which you have taken your stand,
2 And whereby ye are saued, if ye keepe in memorie, after what maner I preached it vnto you, except ye haue beleeued in vaine.
and by means of which you are being saved. I would like to remind you of the words that I used in telling it to you, since you are still holding fast to it, and since it was not in vain that you became believers in Christ.
3 For first of all, I deliuered vnto you that which I receiued, how that Christ died for our sinnes, according to the Scriptures,
For at the very beginning of my teaching I gave you the account which I had myself received – that Christ died for our sins (as the scriptures had foretold),
4 And that he was buried, and that he arose the third day, according to the Scriptures,
that he was buried, that on the third day he was raised (as the scriptures had foretold),
5 And that he was seene of Cephas, then of the twelue.
and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.
6 After that, he was seene of more then fiue hudreth brethren at once: whereof many remaine vnto this present, and some also are asleepe.
After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have gone to their rest.
7 After that, he was seene of Iames: then of all the Apostles.
After that, he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles.
8 And last of all he was seene also of me, as of one borne out of due time.
Last of all, he appeared even to me, who am, as it were, a miscarried baby – born untimely.
9 For I am the least of the Apostles, which am not meete to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God.
For I am the least of the apostles, I who am unworthy of the name of “apostle,” because I persecuted the church of God.
10 But by the grace of God, I am that I am: and his grace which is in me, was not in vaine: but I laboured more aboundantly then they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which is with me.
But it is through the love of God that I am what I am, and the love that he showed me has not been wasted. No, I have toiled harder than any of them, and yet it was not I, but the love of God working with me.
11 Wherefore, whether it were I, or they, so we preach, and so haue ye beleeued.
Whether, then, it was I or whether it was they, this we proclaim, and this you believed.
12 Now if it be preached, that Christ is risen from the dead, how say some among you, that there is no resurrection of the dead?
Now, if it is proclaimed of Christ that he has been raised from the dead, how is it that some of you say that there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead?
13 For if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
But, if there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead, then even Christ has not been raised;
14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vaine, and your faith is also vaine.
and, if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is without meaning, and our faith without meaning also!
15 And we are found also false witnesses of God: for we haue testified of God, that he hath raised vp Christ: whome he hath not raised vp, if so be the dead be not raised.
Yes, and we are being proved to have borne false testimony about God; for we testified of God that he raised the Christ, whom he did not raise, if, indeed, the dead do not rise!
16 For if the dead be not raised, then is Christ not raised.
For, if the dead do not rise, then even Christ himself has not been raised,
17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vaine: ye are yet in your sinnes.
and, if Christ has not been raised, your faith is folly – your sins are on you still!
18 And so they which are a sleepe in Christ, are perished.
Yes, and they, who have passed to their rest in union with Christ, perished!
19 If in this life onely wee haue hope in Christ, we are of all men the most miserable.
If all that we have done has been to place our hope in Christ for this life, then we of all people are the most to be pitied.
20 But nowe is Christ risen from the dead, and was made the first fruites of them that slept.
But, in truth, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who are at rest.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For, since through a man there is death, so, too, through a man there is a resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, euen so in Christ shall all be made aliue,
For, as through union with Adam all die, so through union with the Christ will all be made to live.
23 But euery man in his owne order: the first fruites is Christ, afterward, they that are of Christ, at his comming shall rise againe.
But each in their proper order – Christ the first-fruits; afterwards, at his coming, those who belong to the Christ.
24 Then shalbe the end, when he hath deliuered vp the kingdome to God, euen the Father, when he hath put downe all rule, and all authoritie and power.
Then will come the end – when he surrenders the kingdom to his God and Father, having overthrown all other rule and all other authority and power.
25 For he must reigne till hee hath put all his enemies vnder his feete.
For he must reign until God “has put all his enemies under his feet.”
26 The last enemie that shalbe destroyed, is death.
The last enemy to be overthrown is death;
27 For he hath put downe all things vnder his feete. (And when he saith that all things are subdued to him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put downe all things vnder him.)
for God has placed all things under Christ’s feet. (But, when it is said that all things have been placed under Christ, it is plain that God is excepted who placed everything under him.)
28 And when all things shalbe subdued vnto him, then shall the Sonne also himselfe be subiect vnto him, that did subdue all things vnder him, that God may be all in all.
And, when everything has been placed under him, the Son will place himself under God who placed everything under him, so that God may be all in all!
29 Els what shall they doe which are baptized for dead? if the dead rise not at all, why are they then baptized for dead?
Again, what good will they be doing who are baptized on behalf of the dead? If it is true that the dead do not rise, why are people baptized on their behalf?
30 Why are wee also in ieopardie euery houre?
Why, too, do we risk our lives every hour?
31 By your reioycing which I haue in Christ Iesus our Lord, I die dayly.
Daily I face death – I swear it, friends, by the pride in you that I feel through my union with Christ Jesus, our Lord.
32 If I haue fought with beastes at Ephesus after ye maner of men, what aduantageth it me, if the dead be not raised vp? let vs eate and drinke: for to morowe we shall die.
If with only human hopes I had fought in the arena at Ephesus, what should I have gained by it? If the dead do not rise, then let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die!
33 Be not deceiued: euill speakings corrupt good maners.
Do not be deceived. “Good character is marred by evil company.”
34 Awake to liue righteously, and sinne not: for some haue not ye knowledge of God, I speake this to your shame.
Wake up to a righteous life, and cease to sin. There are some who have no true knowledge of God. I speak in this way to shame you.
35 But some man will say, Howe are the dead raised vp? and with what body come they foorth?
Someone, however, may ask “How do the dead rise? And in what body will they come?”
36 O foole, that which thou sowest, is not quickened, except it die.
You foolish person! The seed you yourself sow does not come to life, unless it dies!
37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shalbe, but bare corne as it falleth, of wheat, or of some other.
And when you sow, you sow not the body that will be, but a mere grain – perhaps of wheat, or something else.
38 But God giueth it a body at his pleasure, euen to euery seede his owne body,
God gives it the body that he pleases – to each seed its special body.
39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beastes, and another of fishes, and another of birdes.
All forms of life are not the same; there is one for people, another for beasts, another for birds, and another for fish.
40 There are also heauenly bodies, and earthly bodies: but the glorie of the heauenly is one, and the glorie of the earthly is another.
There are heavenly bodies, and earthly bodies; but the beauty of the heavenly bodies is not the beauty of the earthly.
41 There is another glorie of the sunne, and another glorie of the moone, and another glorie of the starres: for one starre differeth from another starre in glorie.
There is a beauty of the sun, and a beauty of the moon, and a beauty of the stars; for even star differs from star in beauty.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The bodie is sowen in corruption, and is raysed in incorruption.
It is the same with the resurrection of the dead. Sown a mortal body, it rises immortal; sown disfigured, it rises beautiful;
43 It is sowen in dishonour, and is raysed in glory: it is sowen in weakenesse, and is raysed in power.
sown weak, it rises strong; sown a human body, it rises a spiritual body.
44 It is sowen a naturall body, and is raysed a spirituall body: there is a naturall body, and there is a spirituall body.
As surely as there is a human body, there is also a spiritual body.
45 As it is also written, The first man Adam was made a liuing soule: and the last Adam was made a quickening Spirit.
That is what is meant by the words – “Adam, the first man, became a human being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spirituall: but that which is naturall, and afterward that which is spirituall.
That which comes first is not the spiritual, but the human; afterwards comes the spiritual;
47 The first man is of the earth, earthly: the second man is the Lord from heauen.
the first man was from the dust of the earth; the second man from heaven.
48 As is the earthly, such are they that are earthly: and as is the heauenly, such are they also that are heauenly.
Those who are of the dust are like him who came from the dust; and those who are of heaven are like him who came from heaven.
49 And as we haue borne the image of the earthly, so shall we beare the image of the heauenly.
And as we have borne the likeness of him who came from the dust, so let us bear the likeness of him who came from heaven.
50 This say I, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherite the kingdome of God, neither doeth corruption inherite incorruption.
This I say, friends – Flesh and blood can have no share in the kingdom of God, nor can the perishable share the imperishable.
51 Behold, I shewe you a secret thing, We shall not all sleepe, but we shall all be changed,
Listen, I will tell you God’s hidden purpose! We will not all have passed to our rest, but we will all be transformed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
52 In a moment, in the twinckling of an eye at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall blow, and the dead shalbe raysed vp incorruptible, and we shalbe changed.
at the last trumpet-call; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will rise immortal, and we, also, will be transformed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption: and this mortall must put on immortalitie.
For this perishable body of ours must put on an imperishable form, and this dying body a deathless form.
54 So when this corruptible hath put on incorruption, and this mortall hath put on immortalitie, then shalbe brought to passe the saying that is written, Death is swallowed vp into victorie.
And, when this dying body has put on its deathless form, then indeed will the words of scripture come true –
“death has been swallowed up in victory! Where, Death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting?” (Hadēs g86)
56 The sting of death is sinne: and ye strength of sinne is the Lawe.
It is sin that gives death its sting, and it is the Law that gives sin its power.
57 But thankes be vnto God, which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
58 Therefore my beloued brethren, be ye stedfast, vnmoueable, aboundant alwayes in the worke of the Lord, forasmuch as ye knowe that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord.
Therefore, my dear friends, stand firm, unshaken, always diligent in the Lord’s work, for you know that, in union with him, your toil is not in vain.
